Universal to distribute Paramount Home Entertainment in Italy

Under the five-year agreement beginning April 2011, Universal Pictures Italy will distribute Paramount’s home entertainment product in the country, including film and TV releases on DVD and Blu-ray.

The agreement covers the operations, finance, sales and marketing functions for PHEI products distributed in the territory. 

Among the first titles to be released under the new arrangement will be Jay Roach’s Dinner For Schmucks and US series NCIS: Los Angeles, season 1.

“After carefully evaluating the efficiencies of distributing our product through one distributor in Italy, we believe that this agreement will allow us to better serve our customers in this important territory and, at the same time, maximize performance across our entire portfolio of products,” said Dennis Maguire, worldwide president, PHE. 

“We are pleased to have formed this agreement with Paramount in Italy, utilizing Universal’s first class home entertainment distribution operation to continue to offer Paramount’s quality entertainment products to consumers and increase growth opportunities in this very important European market,” said Eddie Cunningham, president, UPIE.